"My grand-uncle is here to discuss a collaboration with you, elder. You two can handle the details; I'll step out for now." After introducing Xiao Changfeng to Jing Hongchen, Xu Tianxi efficiently left the office, closing the door behind him.
Walking back to the student dorms, Xu Tianxi looked up at the moon, deep in thought.
Xiao Changfeng had come to the Sun Moon Empire without prior notice to find him, claiming that circumstances had changed and he needed to discuss a deeper collaboration with Jing Hongchen.
The only information this revealed was that the Xuanming Sect was about to fully align itself with the Sun Moon Empire.
Strange, why would something like this happen out of the blue? Did Shrek and the Douluo Three Kingdoms do something again to provoke them?
Back at his dorm's Moon Viewing Platform, Xu Tianxi meditated and cultivated while pondering the reasons behind this development.
At the same time, he was also trying to contact Electrolux in his Spiritual Sea, hoping to learn from him how to use the Gold of Life. This wasn't for himself, but for Xu Xiaoyun, who at this moment most needed pure life energy.
Unfortunately, Electrolux, who had started working immediately after transmigrating, seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber. Xu Tianxi tried repeatedly but couldn't awaken him. Instead, the Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, to assert its presence, actively engaged Xu Tianxi in conversation.
"Little Tianxi, if that old geezer doesn't want to talk to you, then we won't bother him, right? Brother here has great abilities too. Do you want to see what I can do?"
"I need this senior to teach me how to use the power of the Gold of Life to transmit life energy to my grand-master, to help him recover his vitality and break through to Limit Douluo. Can you teach me?" Xu Tianxi's spiritual body asked with a calm expression.
"Uh—of course not."
Brother Tianmeng deflated but instantly perked up again, grinning as he pointed at the ten golden light clusters in the Spiritual Sea:
"But Brother has other abilities! See these ten light clusters? As long as Brother injects the energy from these clusters into your Soul Rings, it can increase their age, easily turning all of them into thousand-year Soul Rings!"
Xu Tianxi sounded unconvinced: "Can it really be that miraculous?"
"Of course! And your second Soul Skill happens to change Soul Ring colors, so Brother doesn't have to hold back."
Brother Tianmeng, eager to show off his abilities, with a thought, caused the first light cluster to shower down rich and pure golden light.
Outside, Xu Tianxi's Illusory Moon Mystic Eyes Martial Soul automatically manifested. The moon-like imprint on his brow shimmered like washed moonlight, and two Soul Rings, one yellow and two purple, soared up, pulsating.
Almost instantly, the first yellow Soul Ring suddenly turned purple, its color deepening continuously, from light purple to bright purple, then deep purple, finally becoming a shade of purple with a hint of black, just like his third Soul Ring.
A few breaths later, the three deep purple Soul Rings completed their transformation from purple to black, becoming three thousand-year Soul Rings shimmering with black light, significantly larger in size. Xu Tianxi's own aura also climbed up more than one level.
Truly extraordinary—
Xu Tianxi sensed it briefly and immediately discovered that his first and third Soul Skills had undergone significant changes. The change in his second Soul Skill wasn't as obvious, but the Soul Power and Spiritual Power consumed to activate it were greatly reduced, and its range was much wider.
With these three powerful Soul Skills, he would be virtually unrivaled among those below the Soul Emperor rank.
Oh right, there really is a master in this academy whom I might not be able to beat in a head-on fight. I've been here so long and haven't sparred with him. I should go find him someday.
Recalling that sword-obsessed individual, who could be called the greatest miracle of Douluo Continent 2, a mix of admiration and apprehension flickered in Xu Tianxi's eyes. He closed his eyes, held his breath, and continued cultivating.
The next day, Xiao Hongchen came looking for Xu Tianxi, his face a mix of complex emotions, his eyes filled with confusion.
"What's with that expression?" Xu Tianxi asked, raising an eyebrow.
Xiao Hongchen said, "I was going to ask you! Do you know where Grandpa found a powerful Soul Master? He said he wants Meng and me to apprentice under him."
"Apprentice?" Xu Tianxi's mouth twitched.
As expected, the teacher the Hongchen siblings were to apprentice under was Xiao Changfeng, who had had a long conversation with Jing Hongchen last night.
The siblings met Xiao Changfeng through introductions from Xu Tianxi and Jing Hongchen. They offered a cup of tea and bowed three times, completing the apprenticeship ceremony.
Clap clap clap! Squish squish!
Jing Hongchen and Xu Tianxi applauded from the sidelines. Though there weren't many people creating the atmosphere, their sincerity was evident.
Xiao Changfeng smiled and handed a Storage Ring to Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen respectively. Xu Tianxi didn't know what was inside, but judging by the Hongchen siblings' surprised expressions, Xiao Changfeng's gift must have been substantial.
At the same time, Jing Hongchen handed Xu Tianxi a Rank 9 Soul Tool, indicating that the exchange of benefits had been finalized.
"Little Xu, this is my proud creation, the Rank 9 defensive Soul Tool, Hongchen Blessing. It can defend against an attack equivalent to the user's full power using only one-fifth of their Soul Power. Furthermore, after three days of charging, it can use its stored Soul Power to generate an Invincible Shield that lasts for fifteen seconds, with a defensive power three times that of the user."
As Jing Hongchen introduced the functions of the Hongchen Blessing to Xu Tianxi, Xu Tianxi couldn't help but glance at the Hongchen siblings, who were intently listening to their new master's teachings and paid them no mind. He used his Spiritual Power to form a silent message:
"Dean, do they have this?"
"Them? No."
"Then isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to give me something with such strong symbolic meaning?"
"Our two families are allied; you and I are family. Why distinguish between yours and mine?" Jing Hongchen said indifferently.
Last night, he had reached an agreement with Xiao Changfeng. There was no need for the Hongchen Family and the Xu Family to be so distinct.
The Hongchen Family relied on his position at the core of the Sun Moon Empire. Xiao and Meng were his pride, and he had high hopes that they could succeed him, or even Kong Deming, in the future.
However, it was a fact that the Sun Moon Empire struggled to produce Super Douluo. Even someone as strong as Kong Deming was only Rank 94. Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen's later cultivation had always been a headache for him, and Xiao Changfeng's appearance perfectly solved this problem.
Both families specialized in different areas, perfectly complementing each other. Whether for public or private reasons, Jing Hongchen had no reason to refuse the Xuanming Sect's overtures.
In a few decades, Jing Hongchen would see three Super Douluo descendants emerge from the Hongchen Family, with hope even for them to reach Rank 10 Soul Engineers. The Hongchen Family would go from one victory to another!
"Alright, then I won't be polite."
Xu Tianxi carefully put away the Hongchen Blessing, feeling deeply moved by Dean Hongchen's grand vision.
Just then, Xiao Changfeng stood up and walked closer, handing him a small box. He said,
"Tianxi, this is something your grand-master asked me to bring you. From now until the competition begins, I will stay here to guide your cultivation."
Xu Tianxi took the small box, carefully put it away, and then asked, "Grand-uncle, how is my grand-master doing?"
Xiao Changfeng gently shook his head. "He's recovered well these past few years and has tried to break through his cultivation several times, but he's always fallen short."
"Fallen short, you say?"
Xu Tianxi's mind raced, moving from the Gold of Life to a certain Immortal Herb in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. All sorts of thoughts flooded his mind.
The Gold of Life was easy enough to handle. The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was Tang Buddha's private domain, so observing it from a distance would be simple. He wouldn't dare go there directly right now.
Seeing the deep worry on Xu Tianxi's face, Xiao Changfeng gently advised him, "You needn't worry too much. My old master still has a strong drive, and he's very experienced. Even if he doesn't succeed, nothing major will go wrong."
"Please don't worry, Senior Martial Uncle. I understand," Xu Tianxi replied softly, a thought stirring within him.
Jing Hongchen watched with a smile. He had learned last night that an ancient old turtle was hidden within the Xuanming Sect. Such a powerful individual would be a headache as an enemy, but as an ally, it couldn't be more comfortable.
After Xiao Changfeng and Xu Tianxi finished their conversation, Jing Hongchen turned to instruct the Hongchen siblings to diligently follow Xiao Changfeng's cultivation in the coming days and prepare to receive the imperial "wool" he would bring from the palace. Both siblings happily agreed.
Having a Super Douluo of such exceptional strength provide private instruction was something no academy could compare to.
While Xu Tianxi and the two siblings underwent intense theoretical learning and practical application, Shrek Academy, thousands of miles away, was also welcoming new students and handling various other matters.
Huo Yuhao, who enrolled with the Tang Sect's teacher-student romance duo, was assigned to the "student-expelling expert" teacher Zhou Yi, just like in the original story. He earned her appreciation with his glorious feat of fighting on the first day of school, and together with Wang Dong, whom he befriended through a fight, he entered her notice.
During after-school hours, the aroma of Yuhao's grilled fish wafted through the air, attracting the appetites of many students, including Tang Ya's good friend Jiang Nannan. This, in turn, led to Xu Sanshi's appearance and a conflict with Bei Bei.
The two, who were both "frenemies" and "brothers," started fighting as soon as they saw each other. Without Yuhao's outside influence, Xu Sanshi, who had a Soul Power advantage, would have naturally had the upper hand. However, due to his behind-the-scenes role as a manipulator, the two fought to a draw, raking in a good amount of Gold Soul Coins from the betting students.
It was essentially a "malicious rigged match" in the Douluo world.
The next morning, a joyful Huo Yuhao woke up early. After breakfast, he and his new roommate strolled by Sea God Lake.
Gazing at the shimmering Sea God Lake, Huo Yuhao felt incredibly happy.
Mother, do you see this? I've infiltrated Shrek Academy, the top academy on the continent. Once I complete my mission, I'll become a member of the Holy Sect, and revenge will be within reach!
"Hey, what are you thinking about so intently? Even the beautiful Sea God Lake can't catch your eye."
Wang Dong took a deep breath in front of Sea God Lake and stretched. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Huo Yuhao lost in thought and couldn't help but turn to ask him.
"Haha, it's nothing. Just thinking about some old memories," Huo Yuhao chuckled.
"Tch, boring."
Wang Dong pouted, her gaze returning to Sea God Lake. For some reason, appreciating the scenery of Sea God Lake gave her a genuine sense of ease, as if she had returned home.
Suddenly, a small red dot jumped into her vision. She let out a soft exclamation, her eyes gradually widening.
It wasn't a red dot, but a figure in red, speeding across the water at an astonishing pace, and from the looks of it, he was heading straight towards them.
"Is that a senior from the Inner Courtyard coming from Sea God Island? Hey, hey, Huo Yuhao, don't just stand there stunned! That's an Inner Courtyard senior!"
Wang Dong exclaimed, excitedly patting Huo Yuhao's shoulder and pointing excitedly towards Sea God Lake.
Huo Yuhao turned to look and also let out an exclamation, but soon, with his keen sense of perception, he felt something was off: "Wang Dong, don't you think something's not right?"
"What do you mean?" Wang Dong asked, puzzled.
"CRACKLE!"
As the two spoke, the red figure had already rushed within a hundred meters of the shore. Terrifying high temperatures swept over them, and the air crackled continuously. Both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong simultaneously showed looks of alarm.
"What's going on? Is an Inner Courtyard senior attacking us?!"